Open: Tasca Convivio in Mineola
Roupa velha at Tasca Convivio, Mineola Credit: Joan Reminick
Tasca Convivio, an attractive new Mineola restaurant, takes Portuguese cuisine to a whole other level. At least that was the case the night I dined there.
Dinner began with a vibrant octopus salad, ultra-tender pieces of cephalopod with onion in a lemony vinaigrette. Then, came a dish called roupa velha — a casserole of shredded cod, peppers, onions, Yukon Gold potatoes and chopped broccoli with a pancetta bacon and cornbread topping. Even if the potatoes were a tad underdone, the dish was a knockout.
The restaurant is owned by Georgina and Alberto Martins (he was chef at G.D. Graffiti in Woodbury), both of whom have roots in Portugal. While many of the recipes come from Martins, the chef is Kathryn Kane, who was in charge of the kitchen at The Patio in Westhampton Beach.
Tasca Convivo is at 267 Mineola Blvd., Mineola, 516-746-5000
